Wellness Ambassador Training:
Beyond the Binary
Understanding and Exploring Gender
Recognize Our Own Bias
Questions to Ask Ourselves
How Have We Thought
About Gender?
“Oppositional Sexism”
This is the concept introduced by Julia Serano that male and female are two rigid, mutually exclusive categories, and that each gender is defined in some way by what the other is or isn’t. This creates a kind of identity feedback loop where one’s sense of gender also relies on the other’s adherence to their sense of gender. This might put some light on why gender nonconforming people may seem threatening to gender norms and individual gender identity.
Essentialist view of Gender
Cisnormativity
Cisnormativity is the assumption that all, or almost all, individuals are cisgender.
Many trans* people and allies consider it to be offensive to presume that everyone is cisgender unless otherwise specified.
Although cisnormativity is rarely deliberate, it is almost always perceived as hurtful to the trans* community and contributes to the erasure of trans* and nonbinary experiences.
From The Queer Dictionary
Moving Beyond the Binary
CONCEPTUALIZING GENDER
CONCEPTUALIZING GENDER
The conceptual task is to give full weight both to the social processes that shape bodies, and to the way bodies themselves are active in social processes. To put this more technically, gender theory must recognize both social dynamics and the agency of bodies, and think both of them together (Connell, 2012)
Challenges for GNC Folks
While a person may feel a particular gender, there are ways in which the world either reinforces or denies their identity, such as:
These are some ways in which people are forced to conform to identities that don’t fit.
Gender is
experienced personally,
but validated (or invalidated) societally.
Issues Impacting the Trans + GNC Experience
feeling as though your body doesn’t match your felt sense of gender
can create anxiety, negative self-feelings, and disassociation.
Issues Impacting the Trans + GNC Experience
of systems of power.
based discrimination, higher rates of being the recipient of violence (4xs),
experiences of family ejection, higher rates of homelessness (80%
compared to 54%) and others causes.
Ways to Support
How To Be Non-Binary Affirmative
You don’t have to understand what it means for someone to be non-binary to respect them. Some people haven’t heard a lot about non-binary genders or have trouble understanding them, and that’s okay. But identities that some people don’t understand still deserve respect.
Use the name a person asks you to use. This is one of the most critical aspects of being respectful of a non-binary person. Don’t ask someone what their old name was.
Try not to make any assumptions about people’s gender. You can’t tell if someone is non-binary simply by looking at them, just like how you can’t tell if someone is transgender just by how they look.
If you’re not sure what pronouns someone uses, ask. Different non-binary people may use different pronouns. Many non-binary people use “they” while others use “he” or “she,” and still others use other pronouns. Asking may feel awkward at first, but is one of the simplest and most important ways to show respect for someone’s identity.
Advocate for non-binary friendly policies. It’s important for non-binary people to be able to live, dress and have their gender respected at work, at school and in public spaces.
Understand that, for many non-binary people, figuring out which bathroom (locker room etc.) to use can be challenging. Non-binary people should be supported by being able to use the restroom that they believe they will be safest in.
Talk to non-binary people to learn more about who they are. There’s no one way to be non-binary..
For cisgender folx: It’s important to investigate the extent to which gender-based privilege has impacted their experiences and opportunities, and to investigate the narratives they’ve been taught about gender diverse folks.
Being Gender Conscious in Group Settings
Good phrases to address a group of people…”Hi”:
Accessing Counseling